Leafing through some old cookbooks from restaurants in my part of the country I ran across this pesto recipe. Pesto has been a favorite sauce and no matter how big/small my garden was I always found room to grow this beautiful, flavorful, aromatic herb. I’ve been making my own pesto for 40 years which is always much tastier than what you buy in stores. Freezes beautifully too!
This recipe comes from “The Common Grill” in Chelsea, Michigan, a popular restaurant that we often visited for lunch and especially dinner. The owner and chef was Craig Common and you could always count on a delicious meal and a variety in their menu. Craig retired in 2022 after 30 years and I’m sure the new owners hope to continue the upscale quality that Craig maintained for so many years.
This cookbook, The Common Grill (also the name of the restaurant) was published in 2000 – not sure if they still make it after 25 years but felt it was worth a try. So, why add butter? Because everything tastes better with butter…
I “googled” why add butter and AI gave me this response:
- Creaminess: butter adds a rich, creamy texture that balances the oil and nuts
- Flavor depth: it introduces a subtle, savory flavor that complements the basil and garlic
- Mouthfeel: the fat in butter creates a smoother mouthfeel, making the pesto more enjoyable
- Stability: butter can help stabilize the pesto, preventing separation of ingredients
- Versatility: it allows for variations in flavor, enabling the addition of herbs or spices
- Richness: the addition of butter enhances the overall richness, making the pesto more indulgent
COMMENT: A delicious recipe, possibly the best I’ve made. Very similar to my own recipe but Craig’s recipe uses less pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, but does add some Romano, and adds butter . The flavor, mouthfeel, versatility and richness were definitely there. I tried it as is over ravioli and added pasta water to make it more of a creamy sauce when I made Mafaldine with Potatoes and Green Beans. Marcella Hazan said no single dish is more delicious in the entire Italian pasta repertory.
Basil Pesto with Butter
Recipe from Craig Common, Adapted by Judi Graber
I did cut the recipe in half…
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 lb. basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tsp. Romano cheese, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup (unsalted) butter, softened (sliced into tbsp. and left on counter 30-60 minutes)
Place garlic, salt, basil, pine nuts, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until mixture is smooth. Add Romano, Parmesan and butter and process again until smooth.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Your timing is perfect, Judy. I’m making this! My basil continues to thrive and I have already made two batches of pesto, but this is new to me……with butter! Thanks, friend. 🍃🌱🌿🪴
New to me but worth trying it. I do like the differences butter made – smoother, nice flavor – I will make it again next year as my basil supply is dwindling… 🙂
Thanks for posting the recipe! 🍃🌱🌿🪴
Wow this looks delicious!
It was really good and a recipe I will make again 🙂
Interesting – I never would have thought of adding butter to a pesto. But as I also think that everything (well, almost) is better with butter, I can see how the addition works in this recipe. Nice;
In 40 years I have added different nuts, or herbs but butter never crossed my mind. I loved it and will be added to my late summer recipes 🙂
Great idea! I can definitely see how adding butter to pesto can only make it better!
Thanks Ronit – it did make it better with a nice smooth taste 🙂
I don’t eat pesto very often but i do prefer to make my own when i do. I like to add lots of different herbs rather than all basil! I chuck in chives and parsley too.
sherry
In the past I have tried different ingredients too – parsley is good to help keep the color green, never chives. There are many possibilities… 🙂
So, it’s pesto made with butter instead of olive oil?! I’m in!!! Can’t wait to try it!
Oh no there is a cup of olive oil in addition to the 4 tbsp. of butter. The butter just makes it smoother and tastier. I like the entire recipe so after 40 years of making the same recipe I am about to change 🙂